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| Stonehenge winter solstice celebrated | Stonehenge winter solstice celebrated |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. | |
| Crowds arrived at the Wiltshire landmark before dawn with many others travelling to the Avebury stone circle, which is also in the county. | |
| The winter solstice marks the point when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. | The winter solstice marks the point when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. |
| The solstice occurred at 04:49 GMT, with the sun rising at 08:04. | The solstice occurred at 04:49 GMT, with the sun rising at 08:04. |
| Senior Druid, King Arthur Pendragon said the solstice celebrates the coming of the new sun. | Senior Druid, King Arthur Pendragon said the solstice celebrates the coming of the new sun. |
| "This is the dawn we've been waiting for, this is the dawn the ancients cared about so much," he said. | "This is the dawn we've been waiting for, this is the dawn the ancients cared about so much," he said. |
| "After this they knew the days were going to get longer and the return of hope and renewal." | "After this they knew the days were going to get longer and the return of hope and renewal." |
| The ceremony took place on what may have been the mildest 22 December since records began. | |
| The Met Office said it was "finely balanced", but sunshine in the afternoon could put the heat on the 105-year record for the warmest 22 December. | |
| A spokesman said: "Generally speaking there's been quite a bit of cloud, but if the sun peeps through the clouds in early afternoon, it could just push the temperature up to 16C or something like that." | |
| Historic England said people travel to Stonehenge because of its alignment with the sun on the winter solstice. | Historic England said people travel to Stonehenge because of its alignment with the sun on the winter solstice. |
| "One of the most important and well-known features of Stonehenge is its alignment on the midwinter sunset-midsummer sunrise solstitial axis," a spokesman for the organisation said. | "One of the most important and well-known features of Stonehenge is its alignment on the midwinter sunset-midsummer sunrise solstitial axis," a spokesman for the organisation said. |
| "The midwinter sun sets between the two upright stones of the great trilithon. | "The midwinter sun sets between the two upright stones of the great trilithon. |
| "We do not know which solstice was more important to the users of Stonehenge, but several pieces of evidence suggest that midwinter was very important." | "We do not know which solstice was more important to the users of Stonehenge, but several pieces of evidence suggest that midwinter was very important." |
| The shortest day of the year often falls on 21 December but this year the druid and pagan community marked the first day of winter on 22 December. | The shortest day of the year often falls on 21 December but this year the druid and pagan community marked the first day of winter on 22 December. |
| That is because the Gregorian calendar of 365 days a year - with an extra day every four years - does not correspond exactly to the solar year of 365.2422 days. |